You have probably heard this a thousand times...but

[pedrochemical]

At least you get something for your gold in the Dominican Republic.

(It seems to have turned me into an sexist pig however.)

[las2137]

Not sure what you mean by "gold-digging" but you should be aware of cultural differences here that involve relationships and money. Men here are expected to "take care" of their women. This is usually translated into money. I know many educated, upper-class women here who expect their husbands, boyfriends, etc to pay for their bills, even though they can well pay for it themselves. Men tend to like it and take showing off as a sign of how macho they are- the flashier the better. So if you want to complete, expect to shell out a lot of money.

Yes, there are exceptions. But you must invest a lot of time and effort in finding them.

Originally Posted by pedrochemical

At least you get something for your gold in the Dominican Republic.

(It seems to have turned me into an sexist pig however.)

And I'm sure the women outside the DR are crying over their loss every day.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Princesa777

Good reasons for moving to the DR, except for that one. If you think American women are golddiggers, the Dominican women are way worse. Not talking about the prostitutes and/or women in the tourist places, but the 'average' Dominican woman. Not talking bad about DR women, you get a lot of stuff in return, but they are golddiggers, its they way they are raised even (or especially?) when they are from a wealthy family.
So if you wanna avoid golddiggers dont go to DR

This is a complicated topic to say the least. In the coastal areas mno doubt most are gold diggers. However, in the interior a foreigner will have a better chance, especially if he can manage in the language.

I say the issue is complicated because, even in the case with women in the interior, there are certain very strong misconceptions that by far most Dominicans have that all foreigners have money to burn and therefore dropping RD10k here in there for porqueria is no big deal. Throw in the cultural custom of spending big and being flashy is the required norm when somebody has money and you have a recipe for some pretty strong misconceptions. In other words, if the op meets a nice professional chica here in Santiago, just because she wants to have namebrand clothes and ride around in a yipete del año doesn't mean she's a leach, as she would be expecting this from her well to do Dominican beau as well.

[pedrochemical]

Originally Posted by las2137

Not sure what you mean by "gold-digging" but you should be aware of cultural differences here that involve relationships and money. Men here are expected to "take care" of their women. This is usually translated into money. I know many educated, upper-class women here who expect their husbands, boyfriends, etc to pay for their bills, even though they can well pay for it themselves. Men tend to like it and take showing off as a sign of how macho they are- the flashier the better. So if you want to complete, expect to shell out a lot of money.

Yes, there are exceptions. But you must invest a lot of time and effort in finding them.



And I'm sure the women outside the DR are crying over their loss every day.

Yup,
honest, decent, sober, educated, wealthy men are hard to find in D.R. or anywhere.
I guess my wife got lucky.

[Las Vegas Guy]

I guess I could have defined the gold digger part a little better. I am not a miser, and do not mind spending on a women, but my experience in Las Vegas is that they expect it...and you have to beg for anything in return! Oh yes, it starts off all hot and heavy, but then seems to go downhill! Guess I have just been hooking up with the wrong women. I have heard that Latin women take care of their men better.

I am a Master Mason so hooking up with that group sounds like a good idea. In my research I too have been gravitating to Sousa...seems to fit my needs, and then maybe to Santiago.

Thanks for the advice...I am looking forward to the adventure.

Another quick question...I know it only makes sense to bring 2 suitcases of stuff, but can you ship some boxes over by UPS or FEDEX to get more personal stuff to the DR?

Thanks,
Ric

[El Rey de Mangu]

Originally Posted by Las Vegas Guy

I guess I could have defined the gold digger part a little better. I am not a miser, and do not mind spending on a women, but my experience in Las Vegas is that they expect it...and you have to beg for anything in return! Oh yes, it starts off all hot and heavy, but then seems to go downhill! Guess I have just been hooking up with the wrong women. I have heard that Latin women take care of their men better.

I am a Master Mason so hooking up with that group sounds like a good idea. In my research I too have been gravitating to Sousa...seems to fit my needs, and then maybe to Santiago.

Thanks for the advice...I am looking forward to the adventure.

Another quick question...I know it only makes sense to bring 2 suitcases of stuff, but can you ship some boxes over by UPS or FEDEX to get more personal stuff to the DR?

Thanks,
Ric

Looks like a classified ad:

"Sanky gringo apensionado de Las Vegas buscando Dominicana eduacada." SGA seeking DENC (non-cuero).

Talk about throwing the mierda at the wall and seeing what sticks...

[Yayow]

Although a town like Sosua, can help you get acclimated into the D.R., it is not for you if what you say in your original post is accurate, it is true Spanish is not a prerequisite there, so that makes it easier. But other than that I don't think it actually acclimates you to the D.R., simply because what happens or what you find in Sosua is very different from other parts of the country. I lived in Sosua for over a year when I first migrated to the country and had a great time and still have many people I consider as great friends up there, but based on what you have stated thus far; I don't believe it is what you are looking for.

I would say Santiago is a great city but wouldn't meet your requirement as far as a beach or many English speakers. My guess the easiest transition for you considering all your stated requirements would very well be Santo Domingo, I am prejudice I admit because I live in Santo Domingo, although you don't have a beach there; there are a few beaches within a few minutes of the city (with opps for scuba, instructing or just personal enjoyment). It is a big city with all the big city accouterments. You have all types of restaurants and therefore, your digestive system won't go into shock because you are forced to all of a sudden eat native cuisine. There are areas where you can find English speakers, which can help with your transition. There is very affordable housing in very good and safe neighborhoods. There is many things to do as for as entertainment, clubs, etc. You also have the opportunity to meet, hard working young women who are looking for a stable relationship, although as many have said you may originally have to get over that "gringo" tag with some of the females, it is not true with all of them, all it takes is a little patience and allowing your true personality to come out, of course that is difficult if you don't know the language, if you knew the language you would have no problem at all, meeting the type of female you are looking for.

[Las Vegas Guy]

Thank you all for the information! I am going to visit Sosua in December to get the lay of the land and do some diving. I may take a side trip to SD to check that out too.

Again, thanks to all!~

Ric (or should I say Ricardo!)

[RUBIO4U]

HB (although he doesn't know me) is right on about Santiago as I know he is from there. Badpiece knows me well as he has a place in Puerto Plata. I just moved back to the Puerto Plata area from Sabaneta.

However, they are both on as Santiago being a great place to live. Furthermore, as HB and BP have posted, Santiago is a almost all Spanish speaking city so perhaps being near the ex pats a while until you get yourself blended in would perhaps be the best idea.